No offense to Sony or even Microsoft (with its old and crusty Xbox), but it's been a little hard switching on my PlayStation 2. It's not that the system has bad games, but rather, I've grown accustomed to the Xbox 360 standard of living. Console issues notwithstanding, I'm in love with HD quality graphics, Xbox Live Arcade, and titles like Oblivion and...and...Oblivion! It's caused me to miss out on games I should be playing, stuff like Okami and Urban Chaos (it's good...look it up). But I got to tell you, Mortal Kombat Armageddon is off the chain. A piece of me wishes this bad boy was on 360 because the visuals would look even better, but damn! I'm back to PS2 and I'm loving it.

This is one of those games that's impossible to hate unless you're a Bible-thumping right-wing anti-violence activist from a state redder than Hell Boy. It's got just about everything that anyone should ever want from a 3D fighter. The roster is massive, sporting 60 plus characters that have been yanked from the glory days of the series and beyond. Scorpion, Cage, a zombie-fied Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Raiden, Reptile, Jax, Kintaro, and my own personal favorite, Baraka are all large and very much in charge here, and they're joined by a gaggle of misfits, some of which are brand new to me. All of them have one or two fighting styles as well as taunts and weapons that can be busted out on the fly, and they also have signature FMV movies that can be unlocked. And of course, they have their signature moves, from Sub Zero's icy blasts to Scopions "GET OVER HERE!"

As for the actual fighting, it feels very similar to the last few games in the series, except the developers cut down the amount of fighting styles from three to (as I mentioned) 2 or 1, and there's lots of air combat (or kombat, if you prefer), so it's possible to take the battle several feet off the ground. And naturally, there's plenty of gore, except unlike in previous games, the fatalities are far more interactive. Instead of watching canned animations (which are still quite enjoyable), you have a limited amount of time to bust out various button presses that, if done fast enough, create linked attacks. Basically, you can rip out a guy's eyeballs, snap his neck, kick him in the balls, and split him in half, among other bad things. This helps to keep things fresh, as you never know what sort of dastardly thing (or things) your opponent will do to you, providing they kick your ass. I still love the signature moves, but this Kreate-A-Fatality feature is definitely sweet.

I'm also really digging the arenas, most of which are fully interactive. None of them are as complex as the ones in the Dead or Alive games, but it's possible to throw guys off ledges and uppercut them into the ceiling. There's also a nice selection of environmental hazards, stuff like lava pits, meat grinders, oncoming trains, vats of acid, and other naughty things that you should use to your advantage. And because this is a Mortal Kombat game, almost everything is over the top and awkwardly humorous. Throw a guy into the fire, and not only will he scream in pain, but you'll hear him go "glug, glug, glug."

In addition to the standard tournament style play (which includes single, versus, and practice modes) there's a wealth of content at your fingertips beginning with Konquest Mode. This year, the developers made it more like the previously released Shaolin Monks, so you'll travel to various places picking fights with foot soldiers and settling major scores in single player style matches. There's a story, but it's not especially interesting. I'm just concerned with lopping off heads, delivering punishing special moves, acquiring all of the special items (there are a plethora), and collecting lots of Koins that can in turn be used to unlock a hell of a lot of goodies in the Krypt, which also makes its triumphant return. From concept art to alternate costumes to various bits of media, I spend plenty of time there.

Then there's Motor Kombat. It's basically a Mario Kart spin-off where you select from a small amount of deformed fighters, each of which has his or her own signature vehicle, and hit imaginative tracks with two goals: to come in first, and to terrorize opponents by picking up items that let you pull off a special attack. It's certainly not the game's most important mode (as far as I'm concerned) but it's light-hearted fun and it moves at a decent clip, making it a delightful distraction that can be played offline with another player, or online with eight.

Ah yes, online play! Not only can you play the game online, but you can also create your own fighter, and the wealth of options is staggering. Pit him, her, or it against people from around the globe, and with the especially nice touch of being able to write a fighter's biography. No two fighters will be exactly alike and that's really cool, but the bio is what truly sets them apart. It's just a shame that I had trouble connecting to the network and finding opponents. With that being said, I haven't been able to test the online play, but I will amend this review sometime next week, once the game goes on sale.

Shady online issues aside, Armageddon is the best MK that Midway's put out in years. There's just a smorgasbord of content, which makes this a great game for fans as well as casual gamers looking for a serious bang for their buck. And while I can't comment on the fighting system from a hardcore perspective, the game appears to have plenty of depth for everyone. Button mashing is cool, but it's not going to get you very far. You're going to have to learn even the most basic of moves to survive. So with all this being said, go buy this game ASAP! The PS2 is on the way out, but it still has some legs.

Our Final ScoreExcellent

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